EAST ORANGE, NJ — Who knew you could throw a party, interact with millions of people, dance to music and have a good time, all while social distancing? Stemming from the outbreak of COVID-19, recent events have proved this to be possible. East Orange Mayor Ted Green has joined the list of high-profile social media influencers; he threw his own party, hosting a “Mayor in the House” dance party on Facebook Live, which kicked off at 8 p.m. on Friday, March 27.
Drawing inspiration from the innovative DJ D-Nice, who broke Instagram Live with his DJ set as celebrities from across the world entered the “room” with love and praises, it was Green’s idea to host a similar event, as he wanted to give residents a sense of community. Green felt that one way to do that would be to gather residents on his Facebook page and share a taste of one of his great loves: music.
“We are in a challenging time,” Green said. “Social distancing can make us forget that we are still a community. These virtual dance parties give us a renewal of hope. I am looking forward to spreading that hope throughout East Orange.”
From the living area of his home, DJ Green played notable tunes, all while capturing viewers. The dance party amassed more than 800 comments from viewers, who felt good about the opportunity to connect virtually.
Also taking this opportunity to remind the public of the census, Green, wearing an “East Orange counts” T-shirt, used his platform to promote the importance of filling out the 2020 census form.
For the past several weeks, Green has focused all of his efforts on preparing and safeguarding the city against the coronavirus pandemic, but since New Jersey residents have been directed to stay indoors to reduce exposure and contain the spread, Green wanted to do something to take everyone’s minds off what’s happening outside, if only for a short time.
“It was all about giving myself a platform to keep people safe at home and give them an opportunity to engage and have fun,” Green said to the Record-Transcript. “Like Stevie Wonder once said, music is a universal language we all understand, and I couldn’t think of a better way to connect us as a community and share important messages about COVID-19 and the importance of filling out the 2020 census.”
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